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Chapter 10: Liberation of Fouzen (Pt.2)
Story The armored train known as Equus was positioned high up on a railway bridge, from where it could attack any invading Gallian forces while remaining safely out of range. Zaka's plan involved setting enough explosives along the railway bridge to destroy it, sending Equus plummeting into the valley below. Meanwhile, Isara was trying to deal with her own internal turmoil regarding the state of the labor camp. Though she had always known about the persecution and poor treatment of Darcsens, the devastating nature of the reality that had been thrust in her face was almost too much for the young girl to handle. Seeing Isara's troubled features, Zaka explains that the Darcsens are well aware of their status in the world, and that they are patiently waiting for things to change. These words renew Isara's courage as she reconfirms the importance of stoic endurance, a truly admirable trait of the Darcsen people. Zaka had personally suffered some of the worst persecution faced by the Darcsens, but despite this tragic history, he never spoke a word of vengeance and instead encouraged Isara to remain hopeful for a brighter future. Aftermath After successfully buying Zaka enough time to arrange the explosives, Squad 7 skillfully dodged their way through a barrage of attacks from Equus in order to safely detonate the explosives. Accompanied by a terrible grinding of metal, Equus and Gregor were cast down into valley below the railway bridge. The militia had secured yet another victory for the Gall ian forces, but their celebrations were short-lived, as they soon received word that the fleeing Imperial soldiers had set fire to the labor camp. A charred husk was all that remained of the labor camp. While they were making their escape from Fouzen, the Imperial soldiers had locked the Darcsens inside the building before setting fire to it. Zaka started sorting through the rubble, suggesting that they may yet uncover some survivors. Though they knew the case to be otherwise, Squad 7 wordlessly joined Zaka in his labor of mourning. Amidst the rubble, Rosie spotted the doll that the little Darcsen girl she met earlier used to carry around. As she took the burned remains of the doll in her hands, Rosie's rage exploded. Zaka, who had been silently digging through the rubble with his bare hands, reacted to Rosie's anger by stating that returning violence with violence only leads to endless war. He went on to say that the Darcsens would never resort to vegeance, no matter how much abuse they suffered. That was the way of the Darcsens, he concluded, they would only use their strength to build, not destroy. A few days after the liberation of Fouzen, the militia was gathered in the dining hall, celebrating their victory. Zaka instantly captured everyone's attention when he walked into the dining hall wearing a militia uniform. Intrigued by Welkin and his comrades, Zaka had made the decision to fight alongside them. Squad 7 thus gained a new and promising member.